About Axial Escape

Axial Escape is a game developer who believes games should be equal parts profound and entertaining.

Axial Escape is also me, Taylor. This is the first project I’ve ever developed and it is a massive undertaking. Regardless, I love the freedom that comes from being an indie developer. Being able to wake up and decide what aspect of the project to work on makes the experience so much more dynamic, creative, and fulfilling. I’ve always loved the range of topics and various tones that games can adopt. There are gameplay driven experiences that are incredibly addictive and engaging, visual novels that are basically books in digitally interactive form, multiplayer experiences that foster competition and socializing (ewe, talking to people? Gross), colorful platformers that remind you of your inner child, adventure games that make you feel like the star of a movie, and narrative-driven RPGs that suck you deep into their complex worlds and characters. The latter of which, I am particularly fond of, and that is what inspires a lot of my design choices. The impact of good storytelling to teach us about ourselves and enrich our lives cannot be understated. There are certain ways of creating narratives and worlds that only games as an interactive medium can offer. I’ll never forget the first Trails game I played (Cold Steel for those wondering), Nier Automata, Disco Elysium, The Forgotten City, any Zelda Game, The Witcher 3, Fire Emblem and so many countless other games with brilliant worlds and characters, the likes of which I’ve never experienced in the realm of TV, film, or books. I believe there is real, deep human meaning attached when a game can offer such emotionally charged experiences.

I also want games to be fun because life is silly and absurd so we need levity and humor to navigate it. It’s that sweet balance of profundity and pure entertainment that I love in my favorite games, movies, anime, etc. If everything is grim, serious, and gritty all the time then nothing is, and all the authenticity is lost. A story-focused experience needs lightheartedness and maturity in equal measure; they exist to complement each other. Plus, games have the unique opportunity to make experiences that the world has never seen before. Video games haven’t even existed for a century yet, so let’s see what’s possible with these newfangled things. There’s so much exploration and learning we can still do in the realm of interactive entertainment. I’m optimistic about the future of games because of the indie developers and handful of big passionate studios that keep pushing the medium forward and making objectively cool experiences. I personally love RPGs, both western and eastern, for their balance of epic narratives, character building game mechanics, luscious art, and music. Good God the music. You composers and musicians don’t have to go that hard ya know? Not that I’m complaining of course.

A game should be fun, otherwise nobody will play it. A game should also be meaningful, otherwise nobody will remember it.